Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Modeling birthweight and gestational age distributions: additive vs. multiplicative processes.

Timothy B Gage1

  • 1University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, New York 12222, USA. tbg97@albany.edu

American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council
|October 26, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Mixtures of Gaussian and lognormal distributions were compared for modeling birthweight and gestational age. A two-component hybrid-lognormal distribution provided the best fit for birthweight data.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Model life tables for the larger old world monkeys.

American journal of primatology·2020
Same author

Model life table for captive chimpanzees.

American journal of primatology·2020
Same author

A demographic analysis of the Wisconsin Regional Primate Center rhesus colony, 1962-1982.

American journal of primatology·2020
Same author

Model life tables for the larger old world monkeys: A revision.

American journal of primatology·2020
Same author

Model life tables for the smaller new world monkeys.

American journal of primatology·2020
Same author

Causes of death and the components of mortality: Testing the biological interpretations of a competing hazards model.

American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council·2017

Area of Science:

  • Biostatistics
  • Quantitative Biology
  • Population Genetics

Background:

  • Gaussian distributions are traditionally used for biological traits.
  • Mixtures of Gaussian distributions are increasingly applied.
  • Alternative distributions like lognormal offer theoretical advantages.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Compare Gaussian and lognormal mixtures for birthweight and gestational age.
  • Evaluate the hybrid-lognormal distribution.
  • Assess model fit for diverse demographic groups.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a hybrid-lognormal distribution framework.
  • Analyzed birthweight and gestational age data from African American and European American births in New York.
  • Compared goodness-of-fit for various distribution models.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Mixtures of two Gaussians generally fit birthweight and gestational age well.
  • A two-component hybrid-lognormal distribution showed superior fit for birthweight.
  • The hybrid-lognormal's performance may reflect maternal constraints on fetal development.

Conclusions:

  • Hybrid-lognormal distributions offer a flexible alternative to conventional models.
  • The hybrid-lognormal distribution may better capture complex biological processes like fetal development.
  • Statistical modeling choices significantly impact the understanding of biological traits.